B

3

Katharine Hamer

News Reperter
‘hatbarine@nsnews.com
THE results ofa.
‘Ministry of Education
‘reading, writing, and

vs fumeracy assessment

; show: chat North
Vancouver students are

: performing at a high

. standard. °.

- "Te also-shows that girls are
still outperfurming doys in
feading.: comprehension and.
writing skills. : ° we

Chiidren “across “the .
province in Grades 4, 7 and 10°

were tested in May.
oWriting uresults . (tested in
Grade 4: only) were based on

“first draft samples, while read-._

ng .and numeracy’ abilities
ssessed -based on , the

Tead ties,
the school district was

28 — Korth Skore News — Sunday, December 5, 1989

Following is the percent-
age of students who met
or exceeded provincial
standards for their grade
ievel: (provincial results in
brackets):
North Vancouver
Reading
Grade 4 87% (82%)
Grade 7 89% (84%) .
Grade 10 82% (83%)
Writing
Grade 4 90% (87%)

» Arithmetic .
Grade 4 90% (86%)
Grade 7 81% (72%)
Grade 10 80% (76%)

Moira, McDermott, “not just,
in: Canada and the U.S. but in

- Europe as well.” -

Said Brayac, “It couid be to
do with reading: habits. Girls

_ read more, for openers — and.

the more you read, the better -

“If high school students
demonstrate that their ce
and communication — skills
aren't so good, it’s a bad sign
for university admission.”

He said there is also a
marked geuder bias in univer-
sity graduation rates.

While more girls are taking
ant interest in math and science
courses, Clarke said that many
boys are new leaning towards
careers in the technical trades,
and are “not broadening, but
narrowing” their education
choices. _ :

“Contrary te popular
belief, there are not as many
jobs in the computer industry
as people think. It’s risky,” said
Clarke, “there’s been a regres-
sion, and it’s exactly the wrong’
one.” . _

“He thinks it’s all: part. of a
growing “boy culture” ‘in

which: academic¢ * pursuits. are“

thought to represent an inap-
propriate. career. path — for

young males. He ‘cites. the ’
number’ of ‘theatre programs.

which have been shut down in
schools, becatse: ot. enough

boys’ are."interested in. taking:

part. <=

Said: “Clarke, that. :
World. Wrestling. Federation, -:
‘macho, very, restrictive kind of

notion? “of: what“ traditional
male'roles are.”)50° 2,
Theugh’ North: Vancouy:

Teachers’. ‘Association. presi

professicnal develop-
tithe B.C. Teachers”

Part of this, he says, :
he-importance of advanced
ucation for. students hoping:
diajob..2 0.
Post-secondary,: education
al “now,” says) Clarke

boys:and:. girls were: roughly.

dent:Weldon Cowan. said

ptogra.

gram,
‘fall, will help improv
‘reading skill us

‘The numeracy skills:

a

alent in the grades, teste

Y ise
3°

we